On the road to Gold Bar where politics is a bare knuckle spectator sport. SVC staff photo

(GOLD BAR, WA) -- Gold Bar Mayor Crystal Hill submitted her resignation to the town on Monday, five months before her term expires, citing relentless harassment via the Internet by a person or persons unknown.

The 30-year old Hill said she believes the person responsible for the harassment is connected in some way with a web blog that has been critical of the city. Hill says someone has harassed her via numerous emails sent not only to her but also her family and her employer that make untruthful claims about her personal life.

Crystal Hill joined the Gold Bar City Council in 2005 and was elected mayor in 2006.

Mayor pro-tem, councilman Joe Beavers would be the successor to fill in and serve as the town’s mayor for the remainder of Hill’s term. The Gold Bar town council has 60 days to appoint someone to fill the open city council seat until January.

INTERNET BLOGGER MAKES STRONG ACCUSATIONS

On an Internet “blog” (web log) having to do with Gold Bar, a writer identifying herself or himself as an attorney named simply “Anne” – and who is represented on the site as author of the blog - makes strong, public accusations against Gold Bar Mayor Crystal Hill and others.

A picture of a woman posted on the blog, in a manner consistent with indicating authorship, has the name Anne K. Block attached to the photo when viewed as a digital source file.

In a post to the blog dated July 17, 2009 the writer accuses Hill by name of being an “adulteress” and claims the Mayor resigned because she “had an affair with a former city employee.”

In strong, direct language the blog writer says, “my sources confirmed” that Hill began an extramarital affair with a city employee, and after she found another married man (name redacted by editor) to provide her with a meal ticket, life became extremely uncomfortable for Crystal Hill, so she trumped up some false charges and fired him.”

The name of the “meal ticket” the writer alluded to in the broadside against Hill is a well-known, high profile Snohomish County executive level employee.

The writer further states that “after the city employee threatened to go public with his affair with Crystal Hill, (then Mayor) “Hill and Gold Bar's council members Dorothy Croshaw, Joe Beavers, Lonn Turner, and Richard Norris assisted Crystal Hill in covering up her adulteresses affair. And they did so with City funds. “

A NOT SO VEILED THREAT TO COUNCIL MEMBER JOE BEAVERS?

The account went on to say the city still has “three council members that must resign as well. I am calling for Dorothy Corshaw, Lonn Turner and Richard Norris's resignation with all deliberate speed.”

And in what reads as a direct threat of some type, the writer wraps up the post with, “Word of advice to Joe Beavers: " If you go down the same path as Hill, you will suffer the same fate “

The writer provides no documentation in the post for the accusations other than that the writer has “sources” that confirmed them in some manner.

The blog’s author also makes strong accusations against others who, it appears, have no connection with Gold Bar including a man whom the writer describes as “a senior examiner inside the Seattle DOL EEOICP Office.”

In a blog post dated August 18, 2008 the writer states the man “has worked inside the federal government for years after flunking out of Stetson Law School in St. Petersburg Florida. Although I only worked with Mr. (name redacted by editor) for just over one month, I would often smell booze on his breath and noticed many legal mistakes he was making in his Rec.Decisions.”

The writer goes on to say that under the Bush Administration, “the DOL has become a political pawn for friends of friends obtaining jobs for which they do not qualify for. Mr. (name redacted by editor) is a prime example of this. “

DOCUMENTS LIST BLOCK AS ATTORNEY IN WASHINGTON STATE

Upon clicking the portion of the Blog titled, “View my complete profile” a reporter found no profile of the writer.

A variety of public documents do list an Anne K. Block as an attorney licensed to practice in Washington State with an address in Monroe on Lenton Place S.E.

The documents indicate an Anne K. Block is an active member of the Washington State Bar Association who acquired her license to practice law in Washington State in 2006.

On a website specializing in attorney listings there is a listing for an Anne K Block that states, “The Law Office of Anne K. Block is headquartered in Snohomish County, Washington, and we serve accident related victims throughout the entire State of Washington. At the Law Office of Anne K. Block we fight for the rights of employees, only.

As a single parent who put herself through law school after suffering a work-related-injury, Anne K. Block believes that victims need a strong assertive voice to fight the insurance companies. After all, Insurance companies have lawyers working in its best interests, you should too!”

Another public document states an Anne K. Block specializes in Civil Rights, Employment Law And Government & Administrative Law and that she was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association in 2006 with certification through the Benton-Franklin County Bar.

A recent review of a Monroe-Snohomish & Upper Sky valley telephone directory for 2008-2009 found no listing in either the white or yellow pages for an attorney or attorney’s office named Anne K. Block.

It is unclear if the person named Anne K. Block and listed in public documents as an attorney in the state is the same person who lays claim to authorship of the blog that makes the accusations against Hill and others.